Collapsible crate



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S. T. LEWIS. GOLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

No. 593,590. Patented Nov. 16,1897.

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2 SheetsSheet 2. S. T. LEWIS. GOLLAPSIBLB CRATE. I No. 593,590. Patented Nov. 16,1897

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NITED STATES PATENT FF-ME.

SAMUEL T. LEWIS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COLLAPSIBLE CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,590, dated November 16, 1897.

Application filed December 5 1896. Serial No. 614,623. N m del-J 1'0 tall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Crates, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in collapsible crates, and has for its object to provide a simple and cheap crate of this description which when adjusted for use will be as rigid as though of ordinary construction and yet may be quickly folded into a small compass for shipment or storage.

lVith these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction and operation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of my improvement, showing the crate adjusted for use; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a central section; Fig. 4, a plan view, and Fig. 5 a similar view showing the crate collapsed. v

In carrying out my invention as here embodied I provide a bottom A, which is here shown as rectangular in shape and consisting of four strips having cross wires secured therein, but which may be of a solid board, if desired, and to this bottom are hinged the lower sections B of the four sides by the hinges O, as clearly shown. To these lower sections are hinged the upper sections D of the sides by the hinges E, and these joints are so arranged as to swingoutward, but not inward. To the top rails of the top side sections is hinged the top F of the crate by means of the hinges G, and this arrangement, as will be readily understood, will permit the top to be collapsed downward against the bottom, while the middle joints of the sides swing outward after the manner of a togglejoint and assume the position shown in Fig. 5.

Thus the crate will occupy only a space equal to the thickness of the top and bottom.

hen the crate is adjusted for use, it is prevented from collapsing by the pins H, passing through the overlapping ends of the top and bot-tom rails of the side sections, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and when thus secured it is obvious that the crate will be as rigid as though made in the usual manner. The pins may be secured against loss by strings or wires I, which are securedto some portion of the box by nails or staples, as indicatedat J, or, if desired, some other form of fastening may be provided for these corners, it only being.necessary to hold them against outward movement to firmly secure the crate in position. A door K is here shown as hinged to the top and held closed by a spring L, and a latch may also be provided for holding this door closed, but if found desirable the sections of one of the sides may not be hinged to each other, which would permit them to be swung open after the man'- ner of double doors, and through the opening thus made the crate may be filled or emptied. When this arrangement is utilized, convenient means may be provided for securing the sections in their closed position, or they may be held by the pins H, as already described.

By the use of my improvement a great saving will be effected to the shippers of certain classes of goods, since the crates may be returned to the point of original shipment in the weight class of freight instead of the bulk class, thus obviating the necessity of providing a new crate for every shipment, and this is of great importance, since not only is the expense of the crate saved, but also the room necessary to store a large number of crates for ready use, for by the use of my improve.- ment a much larger number of crates may be stored in a given space.

While I have here shown my improvement as square, it may with equal facility be made three, five, six, or eight s ded and may also be made of boards, so as to be completely closed, rather than of wires, as here shown. One of the principal advantages of my improvement is its simplicity and cheapness of construction, since it will cost but little more than crates of ordinary design, whereas a great saving'will be effected by their use.

My improvement may be adapted for the shipment of eggs by the placing therein of paper cells of the usual form, and these cells may be so arranged as to collapse by simply collapsing the crate, thereby avoiding the necessity of having to remove said cells, but permitting the reshipment of the crate with the cells contained therein complete for further use.

Other slight modifications might be made in my improvement without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact design here shown.

Having thus fully described this invention, what is claimed as new and useful is- 1. In a crate, a bottom, four or more sides hinged to the bottom, each of said sides being formed in a top and bottom section hinged to fold outwardly but not inwardly, a top hinged to the sides and means for securing said box in its extended position, substantially as described.

2. In a crate, a bottom consisting of a frame, wires extendin g across the frame, sides hinged to the strips of the frame, said sides being formed in a top and bottom section,

the adjacent rails of the sides overlapping at the ends, a top hinged to the sides, and pins passed through the overlapping rails of the side section, substantially as described.

3. The combination of top and bottom members, four or more sides hinged to said members said sides being hinged at their centers to fold outwardly, pins run through the overlapping ends of the top and bottom rails of the side sections, as and for the purpose described.

4. In a crate, sides formed in two sections, hinged to fold outwardly but not inwardly,

said sections consisting of top and bottom sAMUEL T. LEWIS.

Vitnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, MARK BUFORD. 

